no_eyed_deer - Member
Okay then... *slight hijack* what Nicolai for a self-confessed XC mincer (with a bit of a carbon fetish), for whom 26er 125mmm travel both ends and 68deg head angle seem just about bang on?

Okayeee.... so that Nicolai Helius is basically an ASR5 that you could quite literally throw off the north face of Ben Nevis - if you wanted to - and it would simply sit at the bottom of the cliff face with a shrug of the shoulders, shaking its head and wondering when you were going to catch up...

no_eyed_deer - Member
Okayeee.... so that Nicolai Helius is basically an ASR5 that you could quite literally throw off the north face of Ben Nevis - if you wanted to - and it would simply sit at the bottom of the cliff face with a shrug of the shoulders, shaking its head and wondering when you were going to catch up...

One flaw - they've 650'd it for 2014. Can probably still get a 26" one custom though

stumpy 29er: very good, surprisingly so
tallboy lt: very good but also expensive, and in 2013, top tube too short for me
whyte t129: not steamrollery enough for me
horsethief: good if you don't mind the loooong stays (I didn't + this is the pre split pivot I'm talking about, not ridden the new one)

thats what I rode before buying a horsethief

your description sounds like how I imagine a 5 29er rides, but not ridden one, so I'll shut up

For me, the only bike that would tick all those boxes would be a Five 29, but that's because the Five is the only bike I've ever enjoyed being out of control on and I dare say the 29er version is similar.

But, since you've got a no-Orange rule I'd have to settle for a Specialized Stumpjumper Evo 29. You'll get the aesthetic advantages that you are looking for from the bigger wheel and it's almost as good as the 26" original.